Clinton State Department silenced them on Benghazi security lapses, contractors say

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Where are the indictments? Why haven’t the spineless, gutless RINOs demanded a special prosecutor? Too busy with Russia ….

Clinton State Department silenced them on Benghazi security lapses, contractors say

September 13, 2017, By By Catherine Herridge, Pamela K. Browne, Cyd Upson, Fox News, (thanks to Richard):

EXCLUSIVE: Security at the State Department’s Benghazi compound was so dire that another contractor was brought in to clean up the mess just two weeks before the 2012 terror attack – and was later pressured to keep quiet by a government bureaucrat under then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to two men from the American security company.

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Brad Owens and Jerry Torres, of Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions, say they faced pressure to stay silent and get on the same page with the State Department with regard to the security lapses that led to the deaths of four Americans.

They spoke exclusively with Fox News for “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” revealing new information that undermines the State Department’s account of the 2012 terror attack in Benghazi, where Islamic militants launched a 13-hour assault from Sept. 11-12 that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, foreign service officer Sean Smith and former Navy SEALS Ty Woods and Glenn Doherty.

Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions provides security for U.S. embassy and consulate personnel around the world in some of the most dangerous locations spanning Africa, the Middle East and South America, according to the firm.

Jerry Torres remains haunted by the fact specific bureaucrats and policies remain in the State Department after the Benghazi attack despite the change in administrations. “A U.S. ambassador is dead and nobody is held accountable for it. And three guys … all died trying to defend him,” said Torres, the company’s CEO and a former Green Beret.

Asked if there was a specific effort by a senior State Department contracting officer to silence them, Torres said, “Absolutely, absolutely.”

Owens, a former Army intelligence officer, echoed his colleague, saying those “who made the poor choices that actually, I would say, were more responsible for the Benghazi attacks than anyone else, they’re still in the same positions, making security choices for our embassies overseas now.”

In 2012, Owens was the American company’s point man in Libya with extensive experience in the region. After the death of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi in the fall of 2011, Owens stressed to Fox News it was well-known that Islamic radicals including Al Qaeda-tied militias were pouring into the region and security “had deteriorated considerably.”

Based on documents reviewed by Fox News, Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions bid on the Benghazi compound security contract in the spring of 2012. But the State Department awarded the deal to a U.K.-based operation called The Blue Mountain Group.

Owens, who had personally visited the Benghazi compound to assess security, was shocked. “Blue Mountain U.K. is a teeny, tiny, little security company registered in Wales that had never had a diplomatic security contract, had never done any high threat contracts anywhere else in the world that we’ve been able to find, much less in high threat areas for the U.S. government. They had a few guys on the ground,” he said.

According to Torres, the Blue Mountain Group came in 4 percent lower than their bid – and they challenged the decision, claiming the American company should have been preferred over the foreign one.

Torres said State Department contracting officer Jan Visintainer responded that the State Department had the “latitude to apply” that preference or not.

And there was more: The Blue Mountain Group hired guards through another company who were not armed.

Problems soon arose. One month before the attack — in August 2012, with The Blue Mountain Group still in charge of compound security — Ambassador Stevens and his team alerted the State Department via diplomatic cable that radical Islamic groups were everywhere and that the temporary mission compound could not withstand a “coordinated attack.” The classified cable was first reported by Fox News.

By Aug. 31, 2012, the situation had deteriorated to the point that Owens and Torres said the State Department asked them to intervene – as Owens put it, an “admission of the mistake of choosing the wrong company.”

“They came back to us and said, ‘Can you guys come in and take over security?’ Owens said. “So we were ready.”

But Torres emphasized that time was against them, saying it would have taken two-to-three weeks to get set up.

Twelve days later, the ambassador was killed. Torres learned of the attacks by watching television. He called the circumstances leading up to the tragedy “bad decision-making from top to bottom.”

“There was nothing we could’ve done about it. If we’d had one month warning … who knows what might’ve happened,” Owens said.

In the chaotic days following that attack, the Obama White House blamed the attacks on an anti-Islam video and demonstration which was not accurate. As a former Green Beret, Torres was stunned: “Coming from a military background, I would expect the administration to tell the truth. So I bought into it for a minute. But I didn’t believe it in the back of my mind.” He said they later figured out the video was not the culprit. The attack was a coordinated terrorist assault which included a precision mortar strike on the CIA post in Benghazi.

But as the Obama administration and Clinton’s team struggled to answer questions about the attacks, Visintainer apparently took it one step further — summoning Jerry Torres from overseas to attend a meeting at her government office in Rosslyn, Va., in early 2013.

Torres took Fox News back to the Virginia office building where he recalled that day’s events.

“[Visintainer] said that I and people from Torres should not speak to the media, should not speak to any officials with respect to the Benghazi program,” he said.

Torres said he was afraid for his company – and hasn’t spoken publicly until now.

“We had about 8,000 employees at the time. You know, we just didn’t need that level of damage because these guys, their livelihood relies on the company,” he said. “I trust that our U.S. government is going to follow chain of command, follow procedures, follow protocols and do the right thing.”

Another part of that conversation stuck out to Torres. He said Visintainer told him “in her opinion, that guards should not be armed at U.S. embassies. She just made that blanket statement. … And she said that they weren’t required in Benghazi. So I was kind of confused about that. And she said that she would like my support in saying that if that came up. And I looked at her. I just didn’t respond.”

The State Department declined Fox News’ request to make Visintainer available for an interview, or have her answer written email questions.

The Blue Mountain Group did not immediately respond to questions from Fox News.

Torres and Owens said repercussions against their company continue to this day – and that of the 20 security force contracts they’ve bid on since that conversation, they’ve lost 18.

Torres and Owens are concerned another attack like the one in Benghazi could happen again because the same State Department employees responsible for the Benghazi contract remain in place and the contracting rules are outdated.

“In 1990, Congress passed a law that required contracts of this nature to go to the lowest bidder that’s technically acceptable,” Owens explained. “Now, what that has created is a race to the bottom, is what we call it. So basically, every company tries to cut every corner they can for these contracts.”

The men say they are hopeful that changes will come with the Trump administration’s promise to “drain the swamp.”

Read the rest.

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Poppey
Poppey
6 years ago

The ” Tender Trap ” as we in the private sector know it, but this time the trap caught the diplomat and the three guards. Race to the bottom is about right.

America can and must do better.

Suresh
Suresh
6 years ago

Bad news Hillary mafia killed witness to email investigation and some good news http://tinyurl.com/y8p9cv5l

Her gang is emboldened by Mc Master Running the show.

Dennis
Dennis
6 years ago

More evidence supporting my view that Hillary was not only a lying fool, but that she was also incompetent. Unfortunately, she and Obama were meant for each other, as I truly believe that the turmoil/messes that we find ourselves in now, were directly related to the mismanagement of this country during the period constituting the Obama years. The fact that the Democratic party chose her as its standard bearer in the last presidential election, and the inexperienced and gutless Obama in the two previous elections, is so mortifying to me that I have lost all confidence in them, and unless I see a major change in their message and a showing of backbone, it will be very hard for me to ever consider a candidate from that party for election.

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
6 years ago
Reply to  Dennis

Agreed. The concept of a “Kennedy Democrat” died with the ascent of LBJ. The party today wouldn’t have him.

To this very day, the only person to face any consequences of any kind for Banghazi is that poor schmuck whose constitutional rights were trampled when he was jailed for having made that inconsequential video.

Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
6 years ago

Another thing that needs to be investigated with criminal charges laid, but, as usual, this is merely another space filler as nothing will happen.

David Robertson
David Robertson
6 years ago
Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

And he’s a traitor how, exactly?

AR154U☑ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ DEPLORABLE 2020
AR154U☑ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ DEPLORABLE 2020
6 years ago

comment image

robin ruis
robin ruis
6 years ago

The ” Tender Trap ” as we in the private sector know it, but this time the trap caught the diplomat and the three guards. Race to the bottom is about right.America can and must do better.

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
6 years ago

As is evident even today, the slaughter at Benghazi is a study in microcosm of what happens with a disarmed society. The entire population is at the mercy of monsters who are always well armed.

It is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it.

Be safe, be trained, be alert.

Christian Gains
Christian Gains
6 years ago

AMEN BROTHER!! Fortunately, MOST folks here, [TEXAS] ARE properly ALL 3 of your advices…SAFE, TRAINED, & ALERT, and willingly stand by the Gadston Flag MOTTO: “COME & TAKE IT”!

(Interesting Historic tid bit: The response of the SPARTANS “300” is VERY SIMILAR: “Come! Take them!”…to another dimwitted totalitarian!”)…

LORD WILLING, our outcome WILL be better…Tho, it IS likely that WE TOO will have traitors who will sell us out! But! Better to die for TRUTH, than live a lie!

bannedquran20
bannedquran20
6 years ago

No one and I mean no one will ever be prosecuted for what happen in Benghazi.

Christian Gains
Christian Gains
6 years ago
Reply to  bannedquran20

SADLY, & MOST UNFORTUNATELY, I agree…Trump, (due to his “handlers”, is ham strung). NOTICE that comment Jerry Torros made as to WHY he’s gone public…SADLY he’ll never get his wish!

bannedquran20
bannedquran20
6 years ago

I concur and probably has to do with the 8 year mess that mom jeans left for Trump. I think it would take 2 administrations or more to fix the plumbing and maybe, just maybe seeing them being hit with long prison sentences.

Alleged-Comment
Alleged-Comment
6 years ago

THIS Benghazi thing is NEAR MURDER of an Ambassador and SEAL teams. Now I know Demoncraps hate our military and especially the SEAL team since it killed one of its own – Bin Laden.

But looks like they (Demoncraps) had a grudge on one of its own. The Ambassador Stevens who they say may have been brutally SODOMIZED.

When will Demoncraps ever be repaid for the treason and crimes they do this country everyday? Bill Clinton still is scott-free for the RAPE of a Juanita Broadderick. Debbie Wassername still has not been arrested, neither has Hillaryous, Rice or the sodomite Negro of theirs.

DorisTBrunson
DorisTBrunson
6 years ago

Boost your earnings on Google & make $99/hour by working from a home computer.
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IzlamIsTyranny
IzlamIsTyranny
6 years ago

I thought they said Stevens probably died of smoke inhalation before he ever got out of the main building?

Alleged-Comment
Alleged-Comment
6 years ago
Reply to  IzlamIsTyranny

All kinds of stories out there. Like 9/11 somebody knows everything but there not talking.

Alleged-Comment
Alleged-Comment
6 years ago

Yes, I always make grammar errors. Usually I catch them in a few minutes, a few hours or the next day or the next week.

We don’t know who wired the buildings for explosives. Who took out the options on the airlines and made off like a bandit. Many other stories out there like that.

Alleged-Comment
Alleged-Comment
6 years ago

What about your conspiracy error that there is not one?

Camelo Humping
Camelo Humping
6 years ago

LOCK HER UP!!!

Christian Gains
Christian Gains
6 years ago

It gets SADDER & SORRIER, every time I hear about Benghazi!

I’ve followed this story closely SINCE the Sept. 11th attack was reported, and read “13 Hours”, AND watched the FOX NEWS interviews with “Tanto”, “OZ”, & “Tig”, [and several others since], and NOW THIS!!

Sadly both of these “TORRES” guys were under the pressure of caring for their “TEAM”, (which, in “MILspeak” = “family”),…And they couldn’t let their guys suffer financial loses due to them going “rouge” and “spilling the beans”.

Just day before yesterday, “Tonto” was in an interview, and the interviewer brought up the “pressure” the 3 were put under by the B.O., [duh Stink’s] Admin. to keep quite. It WAS INTENSE PRESSURE, and, they suffered, and lost their security clearances, {for doing the job they were paid to do!!??}. But, they refused the offer, and told THEIR STORY anyway, as well as they could. The Movie is heart wrenching, at best, and infuriating, to SAY the LEAST.

I can IMMEDIATELY think of 3 people that SHOULD BE investigated THOROUGHLY, AND PROSECUTED to the enth degree for they’re complicity in a vile cover up of BOTH incompetence, AND, (VERY POSSIBLY), intended MURDER of a State Dept. Ambassador, [to cover their A**es over their smuggling arms thru Turkey to Syria OPS]!

The B.O. regime SHOULD BE investigated on SEVERAL ISSUES over the Benghazi affair! The ENTIRE series of events STINKS to high heaven, of SERIOUS WRONG DOING, [putting it mildly]!

Roger
Roger
6 years ago

Blue Mountain Group is owned by?
And their campaign contributions to DNC and Democraps are?
Good reporters would run this down, but they only work with info handed to them now days.

satcatchet
satcatchet
6 years ago

Where the h3ll is Tray Goudy?

satcatchet
satcatchet
6 years ago
Reply to  satcatchet

So I am not the only one wondering where Trey, (thanks Dorrie) is!

Camelo Humping
Camelo Humping
6 years ago

Lock her up!!!’

IzlamIsTyranny
IzlamIsTyranny
6 years ago

I can’t see myself risking my life to save a US ambassador in the 21st century — because chances are they’ll be islamic collaborators/apologists/sympathizers.

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